Sorry folks for not being here to mind the shop the last two days. I was off in the Nice area of France for a work trip that turned out to be a bit of a rollercoaster -- not least because the woman I leave my dogs with forgot the time I was coming and wasn't there, with me in a cab on the way to the airport. icon_yikes Fortunately good friends (with dogs) took them for the overnight stay and I collected them again last night. Everything was so frustratingly rushed; I had an ocean-front room at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes, which is one of the nicest hotels there, and only got to admire the view for 45 minutes the next morning as I packed again, due to all of us missing our connecting flight the previous afternoon in Paris and arriving in after dark. icon_crying

Now I am boarding a plane almost straight away again, for a work trip to California. The good news is that I will stay on and get time with my parents and to househunt in California, where I am moving for a two year stretch for work. The bad news is I feel I only just returned from there and it is always hard to leave the dogs for these breaks! But they will be with a happy group of small doglets at my dog-minder's house and they love staying there and playing with the other dogs. I may be adopting a cavalier currently staying there too (!!!) -- I promise pictures tomorrow after I go over to have a look at him and see what he's like -- so my fellows will have a chance for introductions and so forth. They will be there together for about a week and Margaret is a good judge of dogs and can evaluate them together. Of course, everyone will be moving with me to California.

All very exhausting but hope to get the house sorted and then will feel life is a teensy bit more stable!! :lol:

Mary

24th March 2005, 02:45 PM

Oh Karlin! You make me tired listening but I can empathize with you. Now in the process of moving from NM back to WI with multiple dogs in tow but at least I can make this trip on land. I do not envy you your journey. I bet the little doglets miss you much when you are gone and you them. Hope your house hunt goes well. My offer in my house in WI was accepted this week so now the fun/rush begins. :D

Cathy T

24th March 2005, 04:54 PM

I'm worn out just reading it!!! Murphy's Law??

Cathy

Karlin

24th March 2005, 09:59 PM

:lol: Everything went wrong from the start of the day Tuesday. First I had a call from UPS to say they had a parcel for me that looked like a gift and if so, I owed nearly $100 (â‚¬70) on it for unpaid tax. Then I managed to get oily foundation spatters on my new black silk jacket. The the dog fiasco. Then the airport shenanigans. Then arrived late into Cannes but at least got a great dinner and wine! :p

The good news is UPS deliverd the package today and never bothered to collect the amount owed...
icon_banana

I can't believe I have to get back on a plane on Sunday but that is now the case. Fingers crossed a home goes through quickly in which case I can fly back earlier than expected and try to start getting things sorted on this end.

Looking forward to having a look at this cavalier tomorrow.

Jackie

24th March 2005, 11:27 PM

Karlin - you better start on that Ark the way your going. Can't wait to see the pictures of the new cavalier I know you'll fall in love with :)

rosalie

25th March 2005, 01:32 AM

Can't wait to see the pictures of the new cavalier I know you'll fall in love with

ME TOO!!!!

Karlin

25th March 2005, 02:39 AM

He won't be for me, honest!... but for my parents... I am considering a number of options for them at the moment. icon_crssedfingers

Laurie Moon

25th March 2005, 03:50 AM

Karlin your quite the jet setter....I know you will miss the doglets...So good to know they are in a "good place"......hoping you find the most wonderful home for your family of critters....I am here if you have any real estate questions !!!! :shock: Peace and Blessings to you on this trip !
Same to you Mary...I know how stressful moving can be !!!!! icon_yikes

Karlin

25th March 2005, 12:23 PM

Stressful is right.

I thought I had a game plan all worked out -- I would sell my house, then travel over to buy a house with the dogs, stay 2-3 weeks, then leave the dogs with mom, come back and ship my stuff, and then bring the cats over.

The problem is I realised the gap would be too long to leave my two dogs with mom and dad, really, and that would be especially true if they also had a new dog of their own. They haven;t owned a dog in 20+ years now so need a gentler transition than possiby three all at once for a couple of weeks...

All this unfortunately occured to me well after midnight as I lay in my nice bed in Cannes and I tossed and turned until nearly 2am!! :|

I realised I really needed to go over, buy a house and then return and sell mine, knowing the date on which I could move in. Then could move the animals in two trips relatively close together. I really do not want to have to board my cats in the US -- in Dublin, a friend comes by daily and they can just stay in the house (they are indoor cats) so it's much easier and happier for them to leave them here even if it is for a longish period, if the alternative is a cattery somewhere for a similar stretch of time.

I also realised I had just that day turned down two work trips to the US, which would at least cover my air fares -- because I'd thought the timing would be bad and now realised the timing was actually perfect. So first thing in the morning (feeling very tired from lack of sleep) I was surreptitiously sending text messages to PR people during the first presentation, begging them to reinstate me on the trips!! :lol:

The companies don't care if you ask for special routing on tickets or airlines etc and they are happy to have you stay longer then the actual trip as it tends to make the airfare cheaper. Hence I am off on Sunday courtesy of Xerox, then will be back to the US again in mid-May hopefully with dogs in tow, courtesy of Intel. 8) Of course I pay all the dog costs etc but am asking for airlines I know will take dogs... I am really, really lucky regarding the trips and their timing as in the past 4 years there have been very few transatlantic work trips, maybe one or two a year. I am so fortunate to be able to take advantage of them in this way.

The actual move has far less of my focus than the logistics of moving the animals, to tell the truth -- since I am not having to ship much furniture and so on.

Actually Mary I think moving across the country with all your belongings is probably more stressful than shipping just some belongings, selling the rest and getting all the animals over on a couple of flights!! It would be harder for me to try and drive them (especially the cats) icon_cat .

I keep changing areas where I'm looking for houses as well, with different agents in the different areas as the SF bay area is huge. It would be so much easier to be moving to one distinct place and have that be the focus of a search with one person. Also it is complicated when relatives are realtors etc and friends of your mom's etc as it means all these people are coming up with ideas and showing me and my mother houses... :|

Mary

25th March 2005, 12:32 PM

The trip out wasn't too bad Karlin. The cavs went in carriers and the collie and basset in the back seat. We drive straight thru...24 hours about so it is stressful but only a day's worth of stress. Shipping all the other stuff. I did sell most everything when I moved out here and haven't acquired too much more.

I guess moving is stressful no matter how you do it....lots pressure and deadlines to get things done. Maybe that is why Savannah the basset hound just stole a roll of toilet paper and shredded it on the bed much to the cavaliers delight!!

Karlin

25th March 2005, 12:56 PM

:lol: Mine are great shredders too; occasionally I treat them to a box of tissues or roll of toilet paper...

Mary your experience helps calm my nerves a bit! I will be most worried that something might happen while they are in the hold and will be sure to remind the flight attendants they are below when I get on. They were great on the one flight I've taken them on, to the UK in Feb.

Actually the most stressful part really is simply buying a new house; if you are in a good market selling is not nearly so difficult except for having to keep the house clean (and clearing 7 animals from the premises for every viewing... :roll: ).

At least the US system is more secure than the Irish where even if your bid is accepted there's no legally binding agreement until the contracts are signed when the keys are handed over so in a boom market the buyer is always at high risk of being what we call 'gazumped' (someone else makes a direct higher offer to the seller and the seller decides not to sell to you). The system badly needs changing for this and many other reasons; the buyer has little protection.

rory

25th March 2005, 06:54 PM

Karlin -

So sorry you have to deal with all this stress. :( But I'm excited you're coming out to California!!

I've said it before, but I'll repeat -- let me know if there is ANYTHING I can do to help. I could even keep the dogs for a while! That would be tons of fun! :D

Karlin

26th March 2005, 12:04 AM

Thanks for the kind thoughts!

Here's a pic or two of Louie, the cavalier I went to see today. A really lovely dog in need of a stable home, some obedience training, and a diet!! :lol: My folks decided they would prefer a puppy, so I'll be helping to place this fellow in Ireland. He is so sweet, great with people and other dogs. A big boy too, I'd guess around 28 pounds or so; could stand to lose a few but would with some regular exercise. Great temperament all around.